something tangible, something real
by Alyssa921
Summary: "Delete what?" She attempts to smile cheekily at him. "I'm not stupid, I saw the flash. Delete the picture you just took of me." Well, this is embarrassing. ZaizenxOC drabble.


Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis, Zaizen, or this prompt. The AU prompt is from tumblr. I wrote this drabble about Zaizen because he is one of my faves and deserves much more love.

Prompt: "my friend thought you were cute so she tried to take a picture of you and her flash went off but when you looked our way she shoved her phone into my hands and nOW YOU THINK IT'S ME AND OH GOOD PLS DON'T BE MAD"

My first fanfic. Please kindly let me know what you think in a review! Any constructive help would be appreciated.

* * *

Hirayama Emi sets her eyes on the record store one day while she's on a walk with her best friend, Ito Madoka, after school. Emi grabs her and pulls her into the store before Madoka has time to finish asking, "So, what do you want to d-?"

Madoka has never understood Emi's fascination with records, as she is the kind of person to resort to using the computer to download music. With a click of a button, she had all of the music she wanted. Not to mention, it didn't cost her a thing. She explains this to Emi, and not for the first time.

"You know, you could just go online to get your music. It's easy and affordable."

Emi snorts. "Not to mention, _illegal_."

The other girl waves her wrist in a gesture of nonchalance.

Emi glances through a rack of vinyls appropriately marked "Music from America." Emi loves vinyls. Her dad had an old record player in the attic that went unused, until the day she asked him to bring it down for her. Now, it resides on a shelf on the back wall of her room, with a tall stack of vinyls next to it.

There is just _something_ about vinyl records that she adores. The fact that she can hold a record in her hands and make music a physical thing. Something tangible. Something _real_.

Madoka just doesn't get it.

Emi looks back and forth between the two vinyls she holds in her hands. She only brought enough money to buy one, since she didn't plan on going shopping today. She decides to buy the one in her left hand, and, with a sigh, puts the other one back. "I'll come back for you," she whispers, stroking the reinserted record.

Madoka purses her lips. "Are you almost done?" Madoka was not known for her patience, and she wasn't happy about the detour in their walk.

However, as the two get in line so Emi can pay for her record, Madoka's irritated expression turns around. She spots something, well, _someone_ , that sparks her interest.

"Emi!" She whispers to her friend. "The cashier is really hot."

Emi glances up, following Madoka's indiscreet pointing to look at the cashier in question. The guy _is_ very attractive, with fair skin and fine, spiky black hair Emi would love to touch. Although, he looks like he is one step away from falling asleep, with his head leaning into one hand, while the other hand lazily rings up the orders. "He _is_ cute..."

Madoka takes her phone out of her pocket. "Hey, cover me, will you? I want to get of picture of him and send it to our group chat. The other girls will be _so_ jealous."

"Wait," Emi narrows her eyes, "Ma-chan, don't you already have a boyfriend? Or at least something going on with that guy, what was his name... Sengoku-kun...?"

"I am _not_ dating him. I don't even _like_ him. He's _dumb._ And _annoying._ What _ever._ "

"Huh. You sure are denying a suspicious lot for someone who doesn't like a guy."

"Shut up. And stand in front of me so I can get this picture!" Without waiting for permission, Madoka pulls Emi in front of her forcefully, trying to hide herself, and her phone, from view.

Just then, Madoka's phone goes off with a blindingly bright flash as the boy behind the counter starts gesturing forward to the next customer.

"Shit," Madoka squeaks, her eyes widened in a state of panic. With just one moment of hesitation, she recovers in time to shove the guilty phone at Emi, who barely manages to keep it from dropping out of her hands.

" _Next_ ," the cashier turns to look directly at them. Emi gulps because he's glaring at her hard. She much prefered it when he was falling asleep because now he looks ready to kill her.

Emi's aware she's still holding the phone in her hands, so she tucks it into the pocket of her jacket. The pocket is too small and the phone is too big, so it peaks out, attracting even more attention to it. Emi's face turns red with hot embarrassment.

Damn women's fashion for useless pockets.

It's awkwardly quiet as she puts her record on the counter. He automatically starts to scan it, he eyes still locked at her. Emi looks down at her shoes to avoid the ever-present glare. She notices the phone threatening to fall out of her pocket and reaches to grasp it in her hands before it drops.

"Delete it."

Her head snaps up. Madoka, who was glancing around the store and averting her eyes in a poor attempt to seem inconspicuous, stiffens beside Emi, but does not say anything.

"Delete what?" Emi attempts to smile cheekily at him. By now, he's finished rounding up her order. The price is displayed on the screen, but since he's too busy being irritated, he doesn't bother to read it out loud.

He leans over the counter and stares at her. Emi has a close up view of his dark green eyes, sharp and intense. She notices his earrings from this view, three on his left and two on his right. "I'm not stupid, I saw the flash. Delete the picture you just took of me."

"I didn't take a picture of you," she says as she fumbles to hand him the money.

He arches an eyebrow, "Really?" He obviously does not believe her. "Then let me see the phone," he drops her change into her hands but his hand remains open, waiting expectantly.

Emi opens her mouth and turns to tell Madoka to explain, but the girl has disappeared. She can just make out Madoka's long ponytail swishing out of the record store.

 _Seriously, Ma-chan?_

"Um, okay," she chuckles nervously. Unfortunately for her, angry is a really good look on him. "Haha, funny story... My friend is the one who took a picture of you, not me! I am just a victim of circumstance!"

He looks skeptical. "Uh-huh. Right."

"No, really! She threw her phone at me and I barely had time to catch it because I can't react that fast and then - and then, you started glaring at me and I'm just small girl trying to buy a new vinyl with a terrible best friend who thought you were really, really hot, and I mean, who can blame her? Look at you! She just wanted to share your hotness with our other friends and, oh god... please please please stop being mad at me you're really scary when you're mad!" Oh god, she panicked and now she's rambling like a lunatic. Well, this is embarrassing.

For the first time, he smirks. "You think I'm hot?"

She's baffled. " _That's -_ That'swhat you got from that?"

"Hmm. If you told me your name, I guess I'll forgive you," he has a mischievous glint in his intense eyes. There's the ghost of a smile on his lips, so close to coming out.

She blushes.

"...Hirayama Emi."

He smiles.

"Zaizen Hikaru."

* * *

R&R.

\- grace.


End file.
